The last month of 2007 was a pretty big month for me.  I got a promotion at work, the holidays came and went, and for reasons I don’t really feel like discussing – it ended up being an emotional roller coaster.

But, the end of one year and the beginning of another has got me thinking about where I am in life, and just how exactly I got here.  This Unordered lists attempts to bring to light the obvious and not-so-obvious key things that I feel have brought me to where I am today.

• My Parents. Plain and simple, my parents are directly responsible for who I am today.  Without them, I’m not sure I would have studied in High school to get decent grades, I’m not sure I would have gone to college, I’m not sure of anything – I just cannot imagine where I would be without them.  From my father teaching me to shave and showing me how cool it is to be bald, to my mother supporting me through my first rough report card and teaching me value in hard work.  Every little bit adds up to contribute to the person I am now – which hopefully says alot about my parents.  I’ll always consider myself lucky to have them.
• My Brother.  I am so glad I didn’t have a little sister.  There’s just something that you get out of life when your little brother is wiling to wreck whitey for you.  (p.s. nobody but Vanbergs can possibly know what that means – But it is literally “Shake n’ Bake” 15 years before Shake n’ Bake)
• Grand Valley State University.  This is a big one.  I can distinctly remember applying to GVSU and Ferris State University.  I got accepted to both, but Ferris was always my “Plan B” if I didn’t get into GVSU for some reason.  I did get in and the first year at GVSU brought me to Robinson Hall where I built friendships that have lasted ever since.  I learned and matured alot during that first year, and it was a big turning point for me being my first year “out on my own” so to speak.  The next few years at GVSU resulted a quality education, my first I.T. job, not to mention meeting my future wife.  When I really think about it – It’s really pretty amazing how much in my life has come from choosing to attend Grand Valley State University.
• The “Shitway”.  Not many people will truly understand what the shitway was.  But it played a very significant role in my life.  The shitway could otherwise be known as a Gateway model personal computer, my first.  It was literally a turbo charged 486 with 33 mhz of processing power (100 mhz if you pressed the TURBO button).  Right about now, the average reader is saying “What the ef does that have to do with anything at all, Vanberge?”.  Well, it sparked my interest and started me on the hobby that is computers.  My father taught me alot with that computer.  In the weeks before I moved out to attend college, he and I re-built that computer from the ground up.  We installed a hard drive, Cd ROM, RAM, and he showed me how to use boot disks to format the hard drive.  To cap it all off, we installed Windows 95 on it.  I can safely say that both my educational studies and my career choice are rooted in that computer.
• Counter Strike.  This multiplayer online computer game showed me a whole new side of myself.  I killed hundreds of virtual people.  I was killed by hundreds of virtual people.  I screamed and cussed at people that I was CERTAIN were cheating and wall-hacking.  I bled, sweat, and cried my soul into that game for more hours than I could even begin to count.  To this day, there will never be a game that I play more than counter strike.
• John McGovern.  The owner and “president” of the first Company I worked for after graduating from GVSU.  This man is single handedly the most complete asshole I can ever imagine dealing with.  He regularly yelled, screamed, and cussed, and overall iron-fisted the company in no particular direction.  He was responsible for an extremely hostile work environment that affected me even when I wasn’t at work.  It was a deplorable situation to be in – and it still burns my blood with raw fury and absolute malice to even recall wasting a year of my life at that hell hole.   HOWEVER – It was this man’s unfiltered assheadedness that prompted me to quit my job at an immediate rate.  I didn’t have another job lined up, and I didnt care.  All that mattered was quitting that job.  If that man hadn’t been the worst person in the entire charted universe, I might never have left that company.  Which, in turn, would mean that I would not have the job I currently do.  Hence, all the negatives add up to an extreme positive in this case.
• Research in Motion’s “Blackberry”.  These savvy communication devices have done alot for me.  They began to gain popularity just as I was starting my current job, and I ended up being the main support person for these Blackberries.  In the beginning, I detested these devices with all fibers of all living things.  But the products have improved and they have become easier to support and deploy over time.  This might all sound insignificant, but I regularly interface with top executives and have always been able to help them with their Blackberries.  They know me by my first name, and I couldn’t say that about every other employee at our company.
• Meijer.   Even though I don’t really shop there for anything besides food anymore, Meijer helped me build a decent starting wardrobe of shirts and ties at an affordable price.   
  
• My Friends.  There’s not really any way to put 10 years of friendships into words.  But all my friendships have played a role on the person I’ve become today.  Skateboarding in our living room, stacking picnic tables 5 high, concerts, parties, uccello’s, computer labs, action movies, knockout matches, bachelor parties, heroics, billiards, Lions…  I could go on forever and it just wouldn’t be enough words.
• My Wife.  While this isn’t much the subject for the internet – She means the world to me and has made me realize how lucky I really am.

Happy new year everyone.

This week I’ve finally been able to burn up my last 4 vacation days.

It seems like taking vacation time is always a challenge for me – but I really try to do it because I don’t get reimbursed for untaken days and they do not roll over into next year. It’s “use ’em or lose ’em” scenario.

I guess it’s not a bad problem to have; but I sometimes feel like I have more vacation than I know what to even do with. After volunteering with Habitat for a couple saturdays, I literally had 4 and 1/2 weeks of vacation to work with. Next year will be even worse because I’ll have 5 weeks. I did manage to knock out most of it earlier in the year, and wound up with just these last 4 days left.

So far in these last 4 days I’ve played Forza 2 with Vanbergs, eaten at Mongolian BBQ, played Gears of War, flashed my phone with the newest firmware, watched “Doom, watched “Rambo II”, watched “Rambo III”, watched “Brick”, saw “I am Legend” on Imax, bought a new wireless card on ebay for 6.50, painted my hallway with two coats of “Parmesan” satin, and finally got the chance to use my behemoth snowblower…

I’ll see what else I can add to this list today. It is still pretty early.

I’ve recently become certain that there is simply not enough free time on this planet.

Between things like work, home ownership, being married, etc – I could seriously spend all my within that realm.  Don’t get me wrong, spending time in this “Adult” realm is definitely not a bad thing…  But for the most part, the days of the 10 hour Counter Strike sessions are long forgotten relics of a previous life.

I’m still having a little trouble transitioning though.  There is definitely a large party of my being that is still very immature.  I very often find myself wanting to shrug off all responsibilities.  Definitely been a bit of a struggle lately… I guess you could say I’m hanging onto the “college” mentality.  For example, my college mentality tells me:  I should beat Halo 3 again.  I should play through Fear.  I should play through Forza 2.  I should finish Gears of War.  I should watch the 237 (yes, two hundred thirty seven) movies in my Netflix queue.  I should get Guitar Hero 3.  I should mod my Xbox.  I should get digital HD cable.  I  should get a DVD/Nav system for my car.  I should get a Wii.  I should make a Mii.  Apple should make itunes for linux.  I should get a new video card.  I should get another 19” monitor.  I should get a new laptop.  I should get surround sound for my upstairs.  I should get a blueray player.  I should plug in my effing Super Nintendo and play “Pilot Wings” from start to mother effing finish.

Then there’s the responsible side, telling me things like:  I should paint my hallway.  I should fix my garage door trim.  I should put in new floors (wood laminate).  I should completely remodel the bathroom.  I should rake the yard.  I should sweep the drive way.   I should clean the carpets in the basement.  I should put in an exhaust fan in the bathroom.  I should change the shitty outlet in the living room that plugs don’t even stay in.  I should put the final touches on the finished basement.  I should save for a new furnace because mine is exactly as old as me.  I should clean the gutters on my garage.  I should power wash the deck.  I should stain the deck.  I should water treat the deck.  I should paint the annoying wall in the kitchen.  I should get new cupboards in the kitchen.  I should get a new motion light for the back yard.  I should cut down the basketball pole that there is no basketball hoop fastened to.  I should fix the garage walls. I should put real siding on the garage.  I should see my father without a mustache at least one time.  I should read a book.  I should lose a little weight.  I should clean the air filter in my car.  I should change the front brakes in my wifes car.  I should buy a floor jack to jack up both cars.  I should unplug the effing Super Nintendo.

Obviously there is a solution to this profound predicament:  Balance both of these worlds.

Provide a good home, but enjoy the home.  Sit out on the deck you just stained and have a cold beer.  Have a nice dinner in the kitchen you just put nice new floors in.   Hell, even take a bubble bath in your remodeled bathroom.

With an answer so clear, its amazing that I am even finding myself troubled with this.

For nearly a month, I’ve heavily been considering a change in my own ‘look and feel’. I’ve had the same haircut and style for literally about 10 years. Really the only thing that has changed has been my hairline; which has receded pretty drastically (thanks Dad).

I started reading online… I explored the history and enigma that is “The Buzz Cut“. You see, the buzz cut is not just a simple hair style. It’s a change in attitude, a renewal of youth, a whole new life style. I needed it.

After settling that I was going for “The Buzz Cut”, I started researching different brands for a set of clippers. I ended up trying to decide between Wahl and Oster – but then I found an awesome website by Wahl with video examples for home haircutting (http://www.wahlkeepitclean.com). Due to the awesomeness of the website, Wahl got the nod.

So I now own a home hair cutting kit with a nice set of Wahl clippers.
And I also own a close cropped, clean looking, fantastic “buzz cut”.

Overall, i’m very happy with the results… And i’m pretty sure I am going to maintain this hairstyle for the foreseeable future. It’s easy to do, even on my own. It’s surprisingly clean and professional looking especially accompanied by glasses. And it really takes the emphasis off of a receding hairline. My head is a pretty good shape for a buzzcut. My ears don’t stick out funny. And I am pretty confident that I wear the haircut very well.

Some pics have been posted

One of the definite upsides to my career is the fact that I really get quite a bit vacation time. I do however find it challenging sometimes to work vacations into my schedule because I’m usually fairly busy at work – but this week is one where I’ve worked 5 days off into the schedule. And so far, it’s been fairly productive for me.

Monday
For anyone that knows me, they know that I am the exact opposite of a golfer. Sure, I’ve taken the occasional bucket out at the driving range… But to really seriously golf on a course I can only remember doing one time in my whole life. Now it is two times: On Monday I golfed 18 holes in a scramble format. I borrowed Vanlandw’s clubs, bought some golfballs, some tees, and gave ‘er hell. I have to say, I really enjoyed myself. I was surprised at how well I hit the ball, and free food/beverages didn’t hurt either. I’m still not a ‘golfer’ – but I respect it a little more.

Monday Night/Tuesday
I will have a dedicated post on these proceedings at a later date. For now, here is an unordered summary.

• Wii Sports.
• Coney Island.
• Vanhood.
• Game Fuel.
• Halo 3.

Wednesday
Today has been a general recovery day. This is generally necessary after playing a single video game for over 10 hours in one calendar day (and, pretty much in one sitting). I recovered successfully by waking up too early, watching two episodes of sports center even though it was the same taping played twice, taking a nap, meeting johnson2 for lunch, and generally laying around accomplishing little to none. Most notably today I watched Predator 2.

We’ll see what happens for tomorrow and Friday – I’m kind of winging this “vacation” and just trying to realign my being.

There are Two parts to this post

Part 1: The Microsoft Xbox 360.
I have adored the Xbox 360 for some time now. Although i’ve never fully embraced my dark fueled love for this system – it’s always been there. I didn’t want to admit it because of the lofty price tag and initial investment, but jesus the Xbox 360 is pure Vanhood in a plastic shell. I eased into this console with slow and careful enthusiasm over nearly a year. I played a ‘few’ games for it. I read a ‘little’ about it. I played my brother’s 360 ‘sparingly’. I played Enguego’s 360 ‘once’. I tried to ‘forget’ about them both. I hate ‘Sony’. I like using “Quotations”.

That slow and careful path has officially blown wide open further than the cast of “Fox’s hit show 24”. I am now fully embracing the 360 as my hetero life mate; and I’m doing so with reckless abandon. Moving onto the 360 – Mainstay titles like “Gears of War” and “Forza 2” lead the cast of Microsoft’s hit show 360, and also get strong support from titles like “Call of duty”, “Saints Row”, and “Not Metroid Prime” who round out the ensemble. Then we have Up-and-comers “Bio Shock”(out today) and “Halo 3″(out in September) that are sure to push the bar even further up to levels that cannot be met by competitor consoles. This is the tip of the 360’s iceberg, and I am licking it like a Flintstone Push-up.

August has proven to truly be my sign of the cosmos, three fold. “Leo” has aligned the planets and given me a three paycheck month, a birthday with gift money and gift cards, and a $50 price drop on the Xbox 360. Never has a life path been so clear: August was the time for buying a 360. Thanks to Vanbergs, Vanlandw, Best buy, and me taking Friday off work (Yes, i took a day off to buy an Xbox 360) – I am a proud 360 owner with Gears of war, Forza 2, and Saints Row. Neither Gears of War or Forza 2 need an introduction, but Saint’s Row was a surprise hit in my book. In previews and commercials Saint’s Row looked like nothing but a Grand Theft Auto ripoff. It is indeed a ripoff of GTA, but it accomplishes a new level of playability due to rag doll physics and improved Gun/Rocket/Explosion warfare. I can’t even explain it – it just has to be experienced. I almost hate to say this, but I like Saints Row more than Grand Theft Auto. Virtual Vanberge agrees with Physical Vanberge. I can’t even really say any more about this subject, except that I have tapped an untold happiness that can only be compared to care free childhood bliss. Part 1, out.

Part 2: Mountain Dew Game Fuel.
I heard “buzz” about this limited edition soft drink. The Cherry Citrus Mountain dew. Then my lovable freakishly tall brother allowed me to sample from his 20 oz. I love Game Fuel. And it’s only fitting that a weekend of complete Xbox was ‘fueled’ by game AND game fuel. Vanbergs and I bought a 12 back of GAME FUEL and also each got a 20 oz (the 12 pack wasn’t cold). On Friday, August 17th, I drank a 20 oz. AND 4 cans of Game fuel before the sun had even thought about setting. You might say “dude, that is 5 sodas… so what”. Well, turns out that Mountain Dew Game Fuel has 72.6 milliliters of caffeine PER CAN. That is more caffeine then Jolt Cola (71.2). More caffeine then Vault (71.5). WAY more caffeine than any regular soft Drink. Regular Mountain Dew is the only one in the ball park. (55.0). Sodas like Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper are not even worth mentioning. Red Bull technically has more caffeine per ounce (80.0) – but Red Bull’s only have 8.3 oz. compared to 12 in a normal can – So a Game Fuel technically has more caffeine than a Red Bull.

Needless to say, I did not sleep very much on Friday evening.

Now the smoke has cleared. The weekend is over and the Game Fuel is gone – but I am a huge fan of the soft drink known as Mountain Dew Game Fuel. If you want do deprive yourself of sleep in order to fuel some game, that stuff will definitely do the trick.